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Cobb County DOT pre-treats roads, deploys crews ahead of expected freezing-rain event
Summary
Cobb County Department of Transportation crews began brine pre-treatment Thursday evening and will deploy about 135 maintenance staff in two 12-hour shifts as freezing rain and sleet — expected around sunrise Friday — threaten roadways; county facilities, courts and Cobb school districts will be closed Friday.
A Cobb County Department of Transportation staff member said Thursday evening that crews at CobbDOT headquarters began pre-treating roadways with a brine mixture and will deploy roughly 135 road-maintenance staff in two 12-hour shifts when a wintry system arrives, which the speaker said is expected Friday around sunrise.
The preparations matter because the speaker warned the event may produce freezing rain and sleet rather than mainly snow, and cold roadway temperatures will increase the likelihood that precipitation will stick and create hazardous driving conditions.
The DOT staff member said trucks would start applying brine after the evening rush subsides and that crews would switch to salt-and-sand materials “sometime right around the time that it transitions to snow.” The spokesperson said the county will put “all hands on deck” for the event and split staff into two 12-hour rotations to run through the duration of the storm. The speaker gave a staffing figure: “about a 135 road maintenance, staff” to be deployed.
The DOT briefing also noted local closures: “Cobb County government, their facilities, closed on Friday as well as the court system. The school districts in Cobb County have also decided they will not be holding classes in person at their facilities either,” the staff member said. The DOT representative urged residents to avoid travel while precipitation is falling, adding, “Don't try to get out of there. Let these guys do their job.”
Operational details the speaker provided include (1) pre-treatment with brine beginning Thursday night after the evening commute, (2) a switch to salt-and-sand when conditions change to snow, and (3) two 12-hour shifts covering the event. The speaker also emphasized that cold roadway temperatures increase the likelihood that what falls will adhere to pavement and create hazards.
DOT guidance in the briefing focused on public-safety precautions and operational readiness; no formal vote or ordinance was discussed in the remarks. The county and school closures referenced were reported by the DOT spokesperson as already decided; the transcript does not record which official bodies issued those closure orders.
DOT officials said they will monitor conditions and continue operations through the event, and advised residents to keep off roadways while wintry precipitation is falling to allow crews to treat and clear routes.
